Director, Strategic Projects and Actuarial Innovation

At Equitable, we believe work should be a place where you feel supported, inspired, and empowered to grow. In our caring and collaborative environment, your curiosity is encouraged, your passion is recognized, and your contributions truly matter. Together, we create meaningful impact, for our clients, our communities, and each other.

The Opportunity:  At Equitable, we believe great things happen when we work together. We’re a Canadian mutual company driven by purpose - putting people first and helping Canadians protect today and prepare for tomorrow. If you’re passionate about making a difference and growing your career in an inclusive and collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you. Our culture is built on care, passion and curiosity. We put people above all else, strive to be our best and welcome new ideas to deliver positive outcomes.

As the Director, Group Actuarial Innovation & Strategic Projects, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Group Insurance business by leading high-impact actuarial and cross-functional initiatives that support strategic growth and business expansion. Acting as a senior actuarial expert and internal consultant, you will develop innovative tools, models, frameworks, and processes that strengthen pricing discipline, governance, operational effectiveness, and strategic decision-making. This is an ideal opportunity for a highly analytical and business-minded actuary who enjoys solving complex challenges, building new capabilities, and influencing outcomes across the organization. Working closely with stakeholders across multiple functions, you will lead initiatives from concept through implementation, delivering meaningful business results while providing technical expertise, guidance, and thought leadership.

Work Arrangements: This is a hybrid role. You will work in our office in Waterloo, ON a minimum of two (2) assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth (5th) assigned day per month. You are welcome to work from the office more than the minimum requirement and there may be some roles that are required to work in our office more than the minimum requirement.

 
What you’ll do:

• Develop actuarial models, playbooks, and decision-support frameworks that enhance pricing discipline, financial management, governance, and overall business decision-making.
• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing evolution of actuarial and underwriting tools that support pricing, renewals, profitability management, and business expansion initiatives.
• Partner with Underwriting, Distribution, Compliance, and business leaders to ensure actuarial tools, models, and frameworks reflect market realities, advisor needs, competitive dynamics, and strategic priorities.
• Build analytical frameworks to assess emerging business risks and opportunities, including the impact of pricing strategies, product features, and client transition scenarios.
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations through scenario analysis, projections, profitability assessments, and pricing evaluations to support executive decision-making.
• Serve as the business owner and accountable leader for advisor compliance within Group Insurance, overseeing advisor contracting suitability, regulatory requirements, governance, audit remediation, ongoing suitability oversight, and related controls.
• Lead complex strategic projects that support the Group Insurance roadmap, driving growth, client retention, operational effectiveness, business transformation, and risk management outcomes.
• Manage major cross-functional initiatives by defining scope, aligning stakeholders, establishing milestones, managing dependencies, identifying risks, and driving decisions through to successful implementation.

 
What you’ll bring:

• University degree in Mathematics, Actuarial Science, Statistics, or a related field, along with FSA and/or FCIA credentials.
• 5+ years of progressive actuarial experience, preferably within Group Insurance, with deep understanding of market dynamics, advisor behaviour, competitive positioning, and business realities.
• Strong actuarial expertise in pricing methodologies, underwriting practices, projection modelling, assumption setting, profitability analysis, and risk management.
• Advanced model development and analytical capabilities, including Excel-based model design; experience with VBA, SQL, Python, Power BI, or similar tools is considered an asset.
• Proven ability to lead complex projects and drive results without direct authority, translating ambiguous business challenges into clear plans and successful execution.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and communicate complex actuarial and business concepts to senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and hands-on levels, setting direction while also building analyses, tools, and solutions to support business priorities.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership, coaching, and mentorship to actuarial professionals and business partners when needed.

What’s in it for you:

• Career Growth: Regular learning sessions and development opportunities 
• Total Rewards: Incentive pay, annual salary reviews, employer-paid benefits and pension matching 
• Time Away: Competitive vacation plus one paid volunteer day each year
• Flexibility: Healthy work-life balance with employee wellness always top of mind, complemented by a “dress for your day” approach

At Equitable, we’re committed to fair pay and an inclusive, accessible hiring experience. If you need accommodations or alternative formats at any stage, just reach out to us at [email protected]. We’re happy to help.
Your base pay will be based on your skills, qualifications, experience and education. In addition to your salary, this role is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive award tied to business performance, plus a wide range of competitive benefits.
If you’re selected to move forward, our Talent Acquisition team will walk you through all the details of our total rewards program, so you know exactly what’s included. 

Reports To: Group Actuarial and Finance Vice President

Department: Group Actuarial

Term: Permanent Full-Time

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